This is great news and it comes, remarkably, from the AP (it must be good if the news media is picking it up). Burns is describing exactly what the purpose and strategy of the surge was – empowering the Iraqi people. It’s a remarkable turn of events and a huge win for all of our fine forces over there getting the job done. Good luck and Godspeed with the work still to be done.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has a history of tailoring his public statements for political purposes, made headlines by saying he would support a withdrawal of American forces by 2010. But an Iraqi government statement made clear that Mr. Maliki’s timetable would extend at least seven months beyond Mr. Obama’s. More significant, it would be “a timetable which Iraqis set” — not the Washington-imposed schedule that Mr. Obama has in mind. It would also be conditioned on the readiness of Iraqi forces, the same linkage that Gen. Petraeus seeks. As Mr. Obama put it, Mr. Maliki “wants some flexibility in terms of how that’s carried out.”

Other Iraqi leaders were more directly critical. As Mr. Obama acknowledged, Sunni leaders in Anbar province told him that American troops are essential to maintaining the peace among Iraq’s rival sects and said they were worried about a rapid drawdown.

[…]

Charels Krauthammer made the case about a year ago about the importance of Iraq. Yesterday, this Washington Post Editorial joins him.

Yet Mr. Obama’s account of his strategic vision remains eccentric. He insists that Afghanistan is “the central front” for the United States, along with the border areas of Pakistan. But there are no known al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan, and any additional U.S. forces sent there would not be able to operate in the Pakistani territories where Osama bin Laden is headquartered. While the United States has an interest in preventing the resurgence of the Afghan Taliban, the country’s strategic importance pales beside that of Iraq, which lies at the geopolitical center of the Middle East and contains some of the world’s largest oil reserves. If Mr. Obama’s antiwar stance has blinded him to those realities, that could prove far more debilitating to him as president than any particular timetable.

I can’t usually stand Couric – but she deserves a great deal of credit here for actually asking the candidates tough questions about the war on terror:

Obama continues to insist that Afghanistan (the good war) is where we should be investing troops. What he doesn’t explain is why that would make any sense.
Also, for some reason he simply has ‘no idea’ what would have happened if the US had followed his advice rather than the surge. I have an idea: Iraq would have become a disastrous bloodbath – which is exactly where it was headed before the surge. In fact – this is exactly why the Iraqis are saying that “American troops are essential to maintaining the peace.” How is this such a tough hypothetical?

I have to give McCain major props here for cutting out all the ‘hypothetical’, ‘too difficult to know’ bullcrap. If you want to hear more of McCain’s statement you can check it out here. I especially appreciate this line, as Obama’s main talking point has been that McCain is basically Bush part 2 and all he wants to do is stay in Iraq:

I know those wars. I know conflicts. And I hate war. No one hates war more than the veteran who feels most plainly the loss of a veteran. And I know how to win wars.

[…]

We have succeeded in Iraq. We are winning. We will be making additional withdrawals as everybody acknowledged. We may have an advisory capacity as even Sen. Obama agrees. And we may have security arrangements that are in the interest of both countries. But the fact is victory is being achieved now. A stable society. Secure environment. Functioning government. Functioning legal system. All of the trappings of a nation where people can feel secure in their future in a free and independent nation. And that’s what we’ve succeeded in the strategy which will then mean we are winning the war and bring our troops home.

You can debate whether or not getting into Iraq was a good idea, but in my opinion – that will ultimately be determined by how we get out of Iraq. McCain thinks that victory there is possible, and that it is important not to leave until we reach that point. Obama thinks victory is impossible, and that we should get out ASAP.

I mentioned this story last night about the uncontrollable glee of our wonderful and totally non-biased media to meet with Obama in Iraq. He is guaranteeing to bring ‘hope’ and ‘change,’ after all. If that’s the case, why is he such a total downer on America? Listen to him talk about our need to ‘redeploy’ in Iraq, where we are finally (again) finally starting to hear some good news (no thanks to our media). Remember – this speech was given just the other day BEFORE his trip to Iraq:

Launching his campaign at unrepentant domestic terrorist William Ayers house:

"...led a violent rampaging protest in Chicago, and took credit for numerous bombings around the United States. ... Ayers insists he has no regrets. "I acted appropriately in the context of those times,""

Just a distraction….

I don’t think it’s a distraction to ask questions about legitimate concerns. John McCain has years and years on the record serving this country. Obama does not. Thus, it is important to learn what the guy really believes. I don’t think that’s a ‘distraction’ from anything.

Here’s audio of an Obama voter who trusts that Obama will cause change.

Not to mention, Is Obama’s plan for withdrawal even possible? ABC doesn’t think so:

Facts on the ground…also Distractions?

My point is, ‘Change’ and ‘Hope’ are the real distractions from what Obama actual policy suggestions. What do you think? The presidential race is basically just one huge job interview. What qualities does Obama have that qualify him to be your president?

What do they mean by, ‘Media stars will accompany?” That’s exactly what Obama is: a media star.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain’s trip to Iraq last March was a low-key affair: With a small retinue of reporters chasing him abroad, the NBC News anchor Brian Williams reported on Mr. McCain’s visit there from New York, including it in the “in other political news” portion of his newscast.

But when Senator Barack Obama heads for Iraq and other places overseas this summer, Mr. Williams is planning to catch up with him in person, as are the other two network evening news anchors, Charles Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS, who, like Mr. Williams, are far along in discussions to interview Mr. Obama on successive nights.

And while the anchors are jockeying for interviews with Mr. Obama at stops along his route, the regulars on the Obama campaign plane will have new seatmates: star political reporters from the major newspapers and magazines who are flocking to catch Mr. Obama’s first overseas trip since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. A “Meet the Press” interview is also being planned.

“Well, the purpose of the surge was to provide a secure space, a time for the political change to occur to accomplish the reconciliation. That didn’t happen. Whatever the military success, and progress that may have been made, the surge didn’t accomplish its goal. And some of the success of the surge is that the goodwill of the Iranians-they decided in Basra when the fighting would end, theynegotiated that cessation of hostilities-the Iranians.”

I’m sorry – I usually don’t resort to flat out insults, but…What a freaking clueless idiot!

This ludicruis comment is so typical of the know-nothing douchenozzels in Washington. It even earned Nancy the coveted flaming skull over at Ace of Spades (I had to transplant and quote):

Having blurted out, probably accidentally, that the surge was in fact successful, Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants now scrambles to credit the enemy nation murdering our troops with the victory our troops accomplished through blood, sweat, tears, and more blood.

It’s not our troops. It’s not Petraeus’ leadership. It’s not the Iraqis turning on the Al Qaeda murderers. No — it’s Iran’s goodwill.

Here at wtc she gets the coveted Jar-Jar Award:

I have created a helpful “who to trust” tutorial below for those who haven’t been following the war so far: